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Description

Prunella vulgaris

Also known as:

common selfheal

,

self-heal

,

all heal

Scientific Synonyms:

Description

Prunella vulgaris is a short-growing, mat-forming, perennial ground cover. The stems are 6 to 12" tall, and distinctly square as is typical of other members of the Mint family. The leaves are lance-shaped with mostly smooth margins, and up to 2 1/2" long by 1" wide. The terminal flowering spikes are dense and tubular, and borne atop a central stem. The individual flowers are tubular, irregular, and rather intricate with an upper petal that serves as a hood, and a lower petal with 2 rounded lobes on either side of a fringed center lobe. The bloom color and intensity can be variable within shades of blue, lavender and purple.

Cultivation

Selheal is easy to grow in full sun to part-shade, and any type of soil that is rich and moist. It produces a taproot so it is somewhat tolerant of dry spells once established. It will spread vegetatively and by seed to form a dense ground cover, and can become aggressive in disturbed areas void of competition. It can be used as an effective "green mulch" to fill in gaps in the lower layer between tall-growing perennials. The blooming period will last at least a month from mid-summer to early fall, and is very variable depending on growing conditions. Zones 3-9

Propagation

Easy to propagate from seed or by division.

Additional Notes

Prunella vulgaris is very attractive to pollinators, and highly resistant to animal browsing. Unlike most members of the Mint family, the plant has no discernible fragrance. It has been used for hundreds of years in traditional medicine, and to this day is still considered a panacea.